Politics

• Wednesday, August 5th 2009 - 13:09 UTC

  US military forces in Colombia included in Unasur’s agenda

  

  The deployment of US military personnel in Colombian bases and its implication for the region has been included in the agenda of the Union of South American Nations, Unasur, which convenes this week in Quito, Ecuador, according to the country’s Foreign Affairs minister Fander Falconi.

• Wednesday, August 5th 2009 - 12:58 UTC

  First man on the moon on Falklands cruise next November

  

  The legendary astronaut Neil Armstrong who landed on the moon 40 years ago, is set to visit the Falkland Islands this coming cruise season. The pioneer who took that first “small step for man” will be aboard the National Geographic Explorer for a 21-day cruise to South Georgia, the Falkland Islands and Antarctica in November.

• Wednesday, August 5th 2009 - 12:55 UTC

  Morales nightmare: Chile’s “pinochetistas” and Argentine “fascists”

  

  Bolivian president Evo Morales said he was quite concerned with the possibility that the “Pinochetistas” in Chile and the “fascist right” in Argentina could win the general elections in those countries, according to the country’s government news agency, ABI.

• Wednesday, August 5th 2009 - 12:50 UTC

  Former Argentine president De la Rúa indicted in bribes case

  

  The Argentine Federal Appeals court has confirmed the indictment of ex-president Fernando de la Rúa in a case linking the former Radical president to the payment of bribes at the Senate in 2000 and which ended with a major political crisis.

• Wednesday, August 5th 2009 - 12:43 UTC

  Uribe tours South America in support for his military plans with the US

  

  Colombian president Alvaro Uribe is visiting most South American countries to explain the extent of the understanding currently under discussion with Washington and which will enable an increase of US military personnel distributed in several Colombian bases, an initiative which has received strong reactions across the continent.

• Wednesday, August 5th 2009 - 12:39 UTC

  Lula da Silva boasts Brazil now advises the IMF

  

  President Lula da Silva said that Brazil is climbing out, and strengthened, from the deep global financial crisis and underlined that “Brazil is now advising the International Monetary Fund, IMF”.

• Wednesday, August 5th 2009 - 07:11 UTC

  Leopard tanks corruption in Chile jails two generals and summons ministers

  

  Two retired Chilean army officers have been charged with accepting bribes for the purchase of Dutch armoured vehicles in 1998. The men are accused of taking a 600.000 US dollars bribe over the sale of 200 Leopard tanks.

• Wednesday, August 5th 2009 - 07:09 UTC

  US forces in Colombian bases controversy overshadows regional military summit

  

  United States General Douglas Fraser, in charge of US Southern Command operations covering South America said that there are good reasons for the deployment of US military units in Colombia bases, but also stressed that no final deal had yet been struck.

• Wednesday, August 5th 2009 - 06:59 UTC

  Chavez condemns attack on television station as “counter revolutionary”

  

  Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez confirmed Tuesday that one of her militants Lina Ron was under arrest for having been involved in the Monday attack on the Globovision television station, an action which he also condemned.

• Tuesday, August 4th 2009 - 10:44 UTC

  Argentina pays bond and seeks to return to global capital markets

  

  Argentina paid creditors a total of 2.25 billion dollars on government-issued debt Monday, as it sought to shed the last vestiges of its 2001 default and return to the financial mainstream. Economy Minister Amado Boudou said the payment, or coupon, had been made to holders of dollar-denominated Boden 2012 bonds -- meeting a debt obligation that aims to boost confidence.